Recap of December 26-27 Winter Weather Event

A strong low pressure system moved northeastward across the northern plains Friday night and Saturday. Warm, moist air was transported northward ahead of the low Friday, allowing temperatures to rise considerably across much of the forecast area. Some spots across the southern Red River Valley and west central Minnesota, including the Fargo-Moorhead area, reached or exceeded the freezing mark Friday afternoon. 

The warm temperatures helped melt some of the deep snow pack across the region, causing areas of reduced visibility due to fog. Driving conditions were further restricted as many areas saw light freezing drizzle Friday evening continuing through Saturday morning, resulting in slick area roadways.
 
Cold air moved southward behind the departing low pressure system early Saturday morning, allowing precipitation to change over to all snow. The most snow fell across the Devils Lake Basin, where temperatures remained well below freezing throughout the event. In general, 3 to 5 inches of new snow fell across this area, although a few spots received greater than 6 inches. Areas across the central Red River Valley into northwest Minnesota, including Grand Forks,  received 2 to 4 inches of new snow, whereas areas along and southeast of a line from Lisbon to Fargo to Bemidji generally received less than one inch or no new snow. 

...SNOW TOTALS FROM AROUND THE AREA...

...KITTSON COUNTY...
  HALLOCK                      5.0  

...MARSHALL COUNTY...
  ARGYLE                         2.8  

...ROSEAU COUNTY...
    GREENBUSH             2.0   

...CAVALIER COUNTY...
  3 N SARLES                   3.4   
  LANGDON                      5.5   

...EDDY COUNTY...
  SHEYENNE                    7.5   

...GRAND FORKS COUNTY...
    GRAND FORKS            4.1  

...RAMSEY COUNTY...
  2 S DEVILS LAKE            4.0    
      STARKWEATHER       8.0   

...TOWNER COUNTY...
  CANDO                             4.0 

...WALSH COUNTY...
  PARK RIVER                   5.0   

Below is a map of the observed snowfall for December 26-27...



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